Great music, raw emotion-- heart-wrenching and powerful
by
John Kuykendall
Beautiful, heart-wrenching, and rocking Americana/rock/alt-country.
This is the second album by The Great Unknowns-- we've had to wait at least five years since their first album, "Presenting." While their first album was great (check out "Forever," which marries sad lyrics with a swinging feel and the best use of accordion I've ever heard, or the more-acoustic "Abilene," which describes the day her man left her-- because he loved the small town more than her), Homefront delivers even more powerful, heartbreaking lyrics and stories, along with music that alternates between rocking and beautifully simple and minimalist.
Becky Warren fronts the band and writes their songs. Time has given her more perspective for this record, as she uses her rough and beautiful voice to speak about one of the hidden tragedies of our time--namely, the neglect suffered by veterans when they return from war. Her personal story, of being married to a veteran with PTSD, informs and unifies the songs. But this doesn't feel so much like a political record as a collection of songs about heartbreak, loss, and sometimes anger. She is able to speak up for those neglected in our society today without becoming preachy, or resorting to propaganda, is part of the beauty of the record. The individual songs of loss and regret, of heartbreak and anger, tell us about feelings and people that seem so real, so true.
The simplest songs are my favorite, especially the final one: "Army Corps of Engineers." She loses a loved one and tries to find solace in her memories of him, but "some things you cannot get used to, some things you cannot learn to love." But she reassures herself that "this too is gonna pass away." She then talks about her husband leaving for Baghdad, and how that was the beginning of the end for them. But this, too, will pass away. Finally, she talks about the current love in her life, and how wonderful it is, but then she rips your heart out when she asserts that this love, too, will pass away.
Every song on the record tells a story that will stick with you. And, while I'm a lyrics man myself, the tunes are so catchy that you will have difficulty getting them out of your head-- I've listened to the record so much now that just the mention of one of the songs will start an endless internal playback of my favorite lines from the songs.
The music itself is sometimes rocking and sometimes sparse, but always beautiful. The musicians are clearly top-notch: the drums are so interesting to listen to, yet they don't overwhelm the rest of the instruments-- their complexity is all in the service of the music. Check out the opening of "A Bad Way" for an example The lead guitarist is phenomenal-- very catchy licks. And the bass rocks right along. There is a great collection of guest-instrumentalists, as well-- the high point being the steel guitar on "Wrong."
I cannot say enough about this album-- and there's no way I can describe all the pieces that are going to touch you. You just have to listen for yourself.
